According to a report in the Observer, almost one person in five in the UK has consulted a counsellor or psychotherapist (Observer 1st August 2010). This is a remarkable transformation in a country which until very recently was renowned for it’s stoical bearing characterised by the stiff upper lip and disavowal of emotions. How did […]

There is a growing impetus to reform and liberalise the UK and international drug laws; these being widely regarded as ineffectual in terms of combating drug use. Those arguing for reform make several points. The first is that the existing drug laws are grossly hypocritical in that tobacco which kills a minimum of a quarter-of-a-million […]

Over the next few months as public spending cuts really start to take effect expect to hear much about services currently being run by the public sector being ‘handed’ over to the voluntary or ‘third’ sector. This idea is also in line with the government’s current rhetoric about the “Big Society” in which people and […]

Spending cutbacks are upon us. There is a debate as to the extent to what the level of the reduction in public spending should be, but reduced it will be. The question then is how do we best safeguard front-line services in heath, social care and other vital areas and still achieve a meaningful decrease […]